The Best Affiliate Programs for Bloggers (Plus the Ad Network We Recommend)

Last updated on August 18th, 2026

Ready to actually make money from your blog? The right affiliate programs for bloggers make all the difference.

If you’re a blogger looking to turn your site’s traffic into real income, affiliate marketing and ad networks are two of the fastest ways to get there. But with so many networks out there, it can be tough to know which ones are worth your time — and which ones are just going to clutter your inbox.

I’ve been blogging for almost 20 years now, and over that time I’ve tested dozens of affiliate programs and ad networks. Below, I’m sharing the ones I actually recommend, plus a few tips for choosing the networks that make sense for your niche and your readers.

What Is Affiliate Marketing, Exactly?

Before we get into the list, let’s cover the basics.

Affiliate marketing is when you (the publisher/blogger) recommend a product or service to your readers, and earn a small commission when they click through and make a purchase using your unique tracking link. That’s really all it is.

Here’s how it works in practice: you write about a product you genuinely use or love, you share your affiliate link so readers can find it, someone clicks through and buys, and you earn a percentage of that sale. The retailer or brand covers the commission, not the reader, so it doesn’t cost your audience anything extra.

Your affiliate link itself is just a custom URL that the network or program generates for you. It’s how they track that a sale came from your site specifically, so you get credited for it. You’ll find your links on the dashboard of whichever program or network you’ve joined, and most also give you banners, product feeds, or other creative you can use beyond a plain text link.

One important note: if you use affiliate links, you’re required to disclose that to your readers. The FTC requires it, and it’s good practice regardless, since your audience deserves to know when a post contains links that earn you a commission. You can see how we handle this on our own disclosure policy page.

The affiliate programs for bloggers we’re sharing here range from broad networks that work with thousands of merchants to niche-specific programs. Pick a few that make sense for your content, and go from there.

How Do I Choose the Best Affiliate Networks?

Choosing the best affiliate network depends on your overall strategy and goals and the products you want to promote. Let’s go over some important factors to consider:

1. Look for a network with merchants in your niche

Some networks focus on a specific vertical, like fashion, beauty, or home goods, while others work with brands across the board. Look for a network with a good mix of merchants that actually fit your audience — a random assortment of brands you’d never recommend isn’t going to convert.

2. No cost to join

A legitimate affiliate network should never charge you to sign up. These networks make their money from the merchants, not the affiliates. If a “network” asks for a membership fee upfront, that’s your cue to walk away.

3. Reliable support

Every network offers some level of support, but the quality varies a lot. If you like being able to reach someone quickly by email or chat when a link breaks or a payment doesn’t show up, check reviews before you commit.

4. Good commission rates

Once you’ve confirmed a network fits your niche, is free, and has decent support, look at what merchants are actually paying. Commission rates can range anywhere from under 1% to 30%, depending on the category, so it’s worth running the numbers on a few of your top-performing posts to see what a switch could mean for your bottom line.

What Are the Best Ad and Affiliate Programs for Bloggers?

Display Ad Networks

Journey (by Mediavine)

If you’re ready to monetize with display ads, Journey is Mediavine’s newer, more accessible ad management platform. It’s a great option if you’re building traffic and want a straightforward way to start earning from pageviews.
Learn more and apply here.

General Affiliate Networks

BrandCycle

BrandCycle is primarily an affiliate link aggregator, giving you access to hundreds of retail brands through one dashboard instead of applying to each program separately. I use this one a lot because of their monthly bonus program: the earning thresholds to unlock bonuses are relatively low, so it’s a realistic extra income stream even for bloggers who aren’t driving huge volume. Occasionally they’ll also offer a paid partnership opportunity on top of the standard affiliate links. Learn more here.

Cactus Media

Cactus Media also works as an affiliate link aggregator connecting publishers with brands. Although they don’t offer access to as many retailers, they often have some terrific deals and offers that my readers and social media followers love. In the last few years, my Cactus Media affiliate commissions have become a reliable source of monthly income.

Skimlinks

Skimlinks (like BrandCycle) is about as low-effort as affiliate marketing gets. Once you’re approved, you have automatic access to all of their ‘stores. That means you can generate affiliate links for most of your favorite sites around the internet and receive a commission when someone makes a purchase. All of the reporting is on Skimlink’s site, and they pay you. It’s pretty simple, and I’ve used it for several years.

Mavely

Mavely is another affiliate platform that makes it easy to generate shoppable links and track your earnings from a huge variety of retailers all in one place. Learn more and apply here.

FlexOffers

This is one more affiliate platform that works with many retailers, but you may need to apply individually to the various retailers within their platform. This is simple to do and worth the effort, especially if you’re looking for an affiliate link to a brand that isn’t available elsewhere.  

Niche and Lifestyle Affiliate Programs

Shop Your Likes

This one’s a great fit if you cover fashion, beauty, or home. Shop Your Likes works with more than 600 retailers and offers premium rates, though you’ll need to apply, and there may be minimum requirements around your following or monthly pageviews.

Shopher Media

Shopher connects bloggers with coupons, discounts, and family-focused offers. It’s worth applying if your content leans toward deals and savings content for families. They also have offers for paid survey sites.

People First

People First helps creators from every background become ambassadors for the brands and causes they care about. Sign up to gain access to the Creator Portal and browse all of the campaign opportunities.

Stay22

If travel is part of your content mix, Stay22‘s referral program lets you add interactive maps and booking widgets to your posts, so readers can find and book accommodations without leaving your site.

Stay 22 also has a program that allows you to earn commissions on non-travel content. Learn more about it and apply here.

Remember, you definitely don’t need to join all the affiliate programs for bloggers you find. Start with one or two that genuinely fit your niche, give them a real chance to perform, and build from there. As your traffic grows, you can always add more partners to the mix.

Are you adding affiliate links to your blog posts? Which networks do you like? Leave us a comment.

Also read:
Starting a Blog Checklist: 7 Important Steps to Follow
How to Create a Blog Brand and Promote It Successfully

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